Origin

Lyra Orphée, though a Silver Saint, was said to have power rivaling that of a Gold Saint. He was famous throughout Sanctuary for his skill with the lyre. The story of Lyra Orphée is nearly identical to that of the mythological Orpheus. Orphée's lover, Eurydice, was bitten by a venomous snake and died. Orphée ventured into the Underworld to ask Hades to revive her. He played his lyre for Hades, who was so touched by the beauty and sadness of the music that he agreed to grant Eurydice new life. However, he warned Orphée not to look back until they were both safely out of the Underworld. Pandora was worried that this might set a dangerous precedent, and ordered Sphinx Pharaoh to see to it that Orphée did not make it out of the Underworld. Pharaoh tricked Orphée into thinking that he had seen the entrance to the world of the living, so he looked back at Eurydice, only to see that her body had been turned to stone. Unable to part with his beloved, Orphée decided to stay in the Underworld with her.

Major Story Arcs

Hades Chapter

When Sphinx Pharaoh was about to kill Pegasus Seiya and Andromeda Shun, Orphée interfered. He used "Stringer Nocturne" and made it appear as though he had finished them off, but had actually spared their lives. Sphinx merely believed that Orphée had been trying to steal the credit for defeating the Bronze Saints. Seiya and Shun come across Orphée's garden, where they find Eurydice, who tells them her story and begs them to save Orphée. The Lyra Saint arrives, and orders the Bronzes to leave. There is a flash of light, much like the one that deceived Orphée when he was leaving the Underworld. It was Sphinx, and Orphée realizes that he had been tricked, and Sphinx was responsible for his misfortune. Orphée challenged Sphinx, pitting his lyre against Pharaoh's death harp. Pharaoh severed the "G" string of Orphée's lyre, believing he had rendered the Silver Saint incapable of using offensive moves. But Orphée held the string between his teeth and killed Sphinx Pharoah with "Stringer Finé." He then realized that all living things must eventually die, and that he did no one any good by continuing to mourn his beloved. Eurydice was truly happy that Orphée had returned to the honorable Saint she fell in love with. Having regained his pride as a Saint, Orphée made a plan with Seiya and Shun to attack Hades--they would have a perfect chance, since it was the day that he was scheduled to play for the Lord of the Underworld. He arrived at Hades' chamber with a large case. Pandora, immediately suspicious, opened it, only to find that it was full of flowers, which Orphée claimed he had brought for Hades. Pandora stabbed her spear into the flowers, but found nothing. Orphée grew worried when he saw that the Three Judges of Hell had also arrived to hear him play. He used "Death Trip Serenade" to lure the three of them, along with Pandora, into a deep sleep. He lunged at Hades, but the figure he saw turned out to only be an illusion. A beam of energy suddenly ripped through his chest, and he saw Wyvern Rhadamanthys standing before him, unaffected by the music. Seiya and Shun leaped out from the case to aid Orphée. Knowing that his wound was fatal, Orphée held on to Rhadamanthys to give Seiya a clear shot. Seiya reluctantly used his Ryu Sei Ken on the Specter and the Saint. Wyvern would survive, but the Lyra Saint would not. As his life left him, he entrusted the protection of Athena to the Bronze Saints and whispered Eurydice's name, happy that he could now truly join her.

Powers and Abilities

Like all of the Saints of Athena, Orphée possesses superhuman strength, speed, and agility, in addition to the incredible defense granted to him by his Cloth. All of his attacks are produced by playing a specific melody on his lyre. His primary technique is "Stringer Nocturne"--the strings of Orphée's lyre entangle his opponent and electrocute them. "Stringer Finé" involves the strings of the lyre brutally cutting his enemy. "Death Trip Serenade" lures his enemies to sleep; it's duration, anywhere from a few days to an entire eternity, is determined by Orphée.